Page 16

16

LEI

Even braced for the sight of the victim tied to the tree in the stunning setting of Haleakala Crater, Lei fought the urge to look away from the grisly scene. Here was a man in the prime of his life, restrained and slaughtered like livestock—but even more cruelly.

She took a few steps back to take everything in for a moment, then spoke. "Dr. G, you can begin your exam once I’ve photographed the scene,” she said. “TG and I will get started by focusing on the ti leaf offering and bagging the murder weapon. We will be combing the area for evidence. Just by chance, Rangers, did you see anything unusual in the area that we should examine more closely?"

One of the rangers pointed. “Off that little cliff there. It appears the victim’s clothing was tossed down there, along with his camera and tripod."

"I'll go check that out and retrieve it,” TG volunteered.

"Thanks,” Lei said. “After I examine and photograph the scene I will examine the ti leaf offering and the murder weapon. Then we can begin a grid search and look for any trace, etcetera.”

After an initial visual scan, Lei photographed the body, taking in the “authentic” appearance of the blood-soaked replica malo the victim wore. White tan lines on his legs told the story that a loincloth was not normal dress for him—he usually wore Bermuda-length shorts. His feet were undamaged—meaning he hadn’t walked barefoot on this rough terrain. And, up close, the ragged gashes on his throat were similar to the fatal wounds Goodwin had been inflicted with.

Lei crouched to take pictures of the victim; he had been handsome at one time, with dark hair in a stylish cut, even features, and a clean shave. Now, his face was pale, slack, and empty of all expression, which seemed odd. Goodwin’s features had held a feeling of fear, horror.

Lei moved in closer; she spotted a pressure mark with a blood drop on the victim’s neck. “Dr G. Come look at this. I think this guy was taken down with a syringe. Drugged, like Goodwin was, but still under the influence at time of death.”

Dr. Gregory clipped on his examination lenses and flipped them down over his ever-present glasses, peering in like a nearsighted mole at the man’s neck.

“Good eye, Lei. Yeah. Dude was probably drugged out of his mind when the killer cut him. A mercy. Cheryl Goodwin was awake for her murder, though she’d been drugged too.”

“He might have been roofied, but he knew someone bad was coming for him.” Lei pointed to contusion marks on the man’s knees and cinder gravel in his palms. “Even through his pants, those marks show he tried to get away. Dirt on his hands and under his nails, too.”

“You’re doing half my exam for me, Lei,” Dr. Gregory said. “Let me get my bag.”

Lei turned her gaze away from the horrific scene and moved to photograph and bag the murder weapon—a shark tooth club much like the one discovered at Goodwin's murder site. It had been placed beside the body and slightly beneath it, not as hidden as the one at the previous scene.

“If we can find where the leiomano were made, we’ll have a connection to the murderer,” Lei said. “I’ll sic Katie on that. Maybe she can find somewhere online where these replicas can be ordered.”

Dr. Gregory, on his knees beside the body, removing scrapings from beneath the victim’s nails, nodded. “I like that kid,” he commented. “I bet she keeps your meetings lively.”

Lei snorted. “You got that right.”

After photographing the club, Lei slid the gore-covered weapon into an evidence bag. She then removed the ti leaf wrapped bundle from between the man's sprawled legs. She carried the bundle over to a nearby rock, undid the twine holding it shut, and opened the ti leaves. She was careful not to touch areas where a print might have lodged—though there was no great hope the perpetrator had been that careless.

Resting inside the long green ti leaves were a chunk of orange-red brick and a driver’s license.

“I’ve got to get that more detailed brick info from Katie,” Lei murmured. “The killer’s sending a clear message with this piece.” She then picked up the license and read the home address and vital statistics of one Jonas Kleftes, aged thirty-nine. “Whoever you were, Jonas, you weren’t chosen randomly.”

The sun overhead cast long shadows across the crater's rust-colored cinder cones, and a chill wind whistled through the silvery leaves of the rare ‘āhinahina silversword plants clinging to the volcanic rocks.

“Lei! Come see this.” TG's voice echoed up from below a rift edge, carrying across the otherworldly landscape of Haleakala. Lei made her way carefully down the steep slope, loose cinders shifting treacherously under her boots. At this elevation, even the air felt different, sharp in her lungs, carrying the dusty scent of volcanic soil.

Above her, the koa tree where the body was found stood like a sentinel against the vast sky, its leaves rustling in a slight wind that swept across the crater floor. The tree, defiant in this harsh environment, seemed to be drawing strength from the volcanic rock it had somehow rooted in.

TG stood beside a pile of expensive-looking clothing and a camera setup, methodically photographing each item before bagging it. Wispy clouds cast fast-moving shadows across the scene.

"Designer everything," TG said, holding up a Patagonia down jacket. "And check out the victim’s wallet." He carefully opened the calfskin billfold, the leather glossy despite being tossed onto the rough ‘a‘ā lava rocks. "Multiple platinum cards and business cards for luxury real estate developments. Here’s his: Jonas Kleftes, VP of Acquisitions, Pacific Rim Ventures." TG held up a glossy silver card with the victim’s smiling face emblazoned on it.

The brick in the ti leaf bundle took on new meaning now; its orange-red color almost matched the volcanic soil where they stood.

Lei pulled on fresh gloves, the snap of latex loud in the thin air. “This makes me wonder if Kleftes had a connection to Cheryl Goodwin.” Her voice carried strangely in the open space, making her lower it instinctively, as if in respect for the sacred ground they stood on.

“Indeed.” TG lifted the camera he’d retrieved, its expensive lens glinting. “Looks like he was here using night settings to photograph stars, but beyond whatever he was getting started with, the memory card’s full of aerial shots of undeveloped land—beachfront properties."

A nēnē called somewhere in the distance, the high-pitched honking sound echoing off the crater walls. “Maybe the perp’s making a statement about modern land grabs."

“By staging the bodies at historically significant sites with Hawaiiana trappings.” TG bagged the wallet. "First the heiau , now here at Haleakala. Places that meant something to Native Hawaiians before developers started seeing dollar signs."

Lei gazed back up at the crime scene, where Dr. Gregory worked in the shadow of the koa tree. The staged tableau of the victim wearing the malo , the shark tooth weapon and the gash it had inflicted, even the ti leaf offering seemed even more grotesque against the austere beauty of the crater. “I think you might be right.” A cloud shadow passed over them, bringing a momentary chill. "We need to find out what properties Kleftes’s company has in development right now. Could tell us where he'll strike next."

"Got his phone here too." TG held up an evidence bag containing the latest iPhone model, its screen still somehow intact. “It’s locked, but Katie should be able to crack it. Could tell us what deals he was working."

Lei nodded as another bank of clouds rolled over the crater rim, their shadows racing across the ancient landscape like dark thoughts. Two victims now, both posed in sacred places, both killed with replica weapons.

This wasn't going to stop until they found all the connections and got ahead of the twisted crusade this killer was on.